


Without Blue

by Sephypsycologist



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Grief, borrower, death mention, neutral run where only sans dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-17 04:39:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16967850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephypsycologist/pseuds/Sephypsycologist
Summary: Out of the whole underground only one person died. And Papyrus is lost without him.





	Without Blue

He’d failed. Again. He didn’t care anymore. The kid had done everything else right, after all.

And that’s what hurt the most. Out of everyone, out of the entire Underground, they had only killed once.

And now Sans was gone.

Papyrus clutched the blue bandanna around his neck and tried to fight back the renewed tears. Why? And they hadn’t reset! Usually they’d come back and try again by now but not yet….did they just want him to suffer alone?

He was done wondering. He was DONE with humans.

–

He’d been holed up in the house for weeks.

‘dyne had called but he didn’t answer. He just wanted to be alone right now….since he had to get used to it. Not like he could live anywhere else.

He’d lost a lot of things, too. They rolled off desks and behind the sofa and he just couldn’t bother to pick them up. 

The light was still on in Sans’ room. He couldn’t even touch the door, much less go in there and turn it off. If he kept it shut maybe he could at least hold on to that last bit of excitement he’d had….

—

The channel changer had shown up on his bed two weeks later. 

And his left shoe the day after.

And he’d woken up with some cereal next to him this morning. (stars he had forgotten what it was like to actually eat instead of just looking at food)

Somehow, somebody was helping him. He appreciated it, really, but what bothered him was that nobody had a key to the house but him and Sans….well, nobody had a key but him. And the door was locked.

How had they gotten in?

—-

Now they were making his soul hurt.

He woke up to cereal again, and a surprisingly sock free room. Whoever was helping him had started cleaning.

Going downstairs, everything was the same, but then he saw it. They had left the sock with the notes on it alone, even though all the other clothes were cleaned up.

Papyrus cried again.

Stars, why hadn’t he just stopped Sans this time? Why was he so apathetic and useless? Some phantom had to take care of him and he couldn’t even save his brother and….stars he wished he were the one who’d dusted.

—

He’d come to expect food appearing beside him while he slept. It was the only thing that kept him getting at least one meal a day.

And the cleaning. It was just socks the first time, but soon enough it was…

The house was as clean as if Sans had….as if he was…

Papyrus shook his head and curled up under his blanket. No. He still can’t think about him. It’s still too painful, even after three months.

He’s pretty sure everyone’s forgotten about him by now, since he hasn’t left the house. But whoever was helping him, they were doing a lot more.

The house stayed spotless, and now there were little notes sometimes. And he meant little. About as big as his hand and written in very small print.

“Take heart. You’re amazing.”

“You’re worth more than you know.”

“I love you.”

“Please match your socks, if you can.”

“What do you want from the store?”

Oh yeah, he’d found that somehow his fridge was getting stocked, too….despite never leaving.

He had to figure out who this was, even though he didn’t recognize the handwriting on the notes.

So, one night, he didn’t sleep. It wasn’t that hard, he just had to think for a while and all urge to sleep was gone.

He stayed in bed as if he was asleep, and soon enough he heard his floor creak. Still, they weren’t close enough. Closer….closer….

Papyrus snapped upright and looked.

He wished he hadn’t.

———

It took him about two seconds to see what was standing in front of him and another two to surround it in blue bones.

“What…the HELL…are YOU?” he growled at the detestable creature. It was tiny, sure, but it was HUMAN.

Socket blazing and lighting the whole room, he snatched the tiny body into his hand and squeezed till it screamed, “answer me!”

It cried, but couldn’t speak. Damn. “fine, you’re going to regret coming in here either way.”

He got up and slammed the door open, heading downstairs. “you think your kind can just come in here after what THEY did? really? I don’t care how small you are; humans are scum.”

There was just strained whimpers and shaking. His rage was waning, but he fought to keep it. Conscience can go to hell, he’s not letting this one get away.

His next retort ready, he turned on the light and….felt his soul drop.

there was a new note, and it was next to a cereal bowl. But there was also a tiny stub of a pencil, too small for anyone his size to use.

He didn’t want to believe it, but the more he thought, the more it made sense. Those little marks on the counter that had been showing up were from the ruler he could see leading from the counter to the table. And all the loose change he kept finding in little stacks on the entry table must have come from the couch cushions.

The notes, the sock balls stacked in pyramids, the tiny hand writing….”stars…”

Papyrus sat down at the table and let the tiny human go. Covering his face with his hands, he mumbled, “how long have you been here?”

They coughed a bit, rubbing their chest with a pained face, but they answered, “I….I’ve lived here for three years.”

Their voice was clearly out of breath, and Papyrus realized he’d probably almost killed them just from squeezing too hard. “so you know.”

“Yeah.”

the next question was more to himself than the small human, “do you miss him, too?”

Their voice was very quiet, but they answered, “Every day.”

Both of them were silent for quite a while afterward.

 

“so you’ve been the one helping me since it happened?” Papyrus croaked as he wiped the last stray tears away.

The tiny human nodded, knees up to their body, “Once I was able to motivate myself, yeah. sorry it took so long.”

“you don’t need to apologize for that. not to me…” the skeleton sighed. “but…how did you do it? there’s so much and you….did everything.”

“I just,” they gestured vaguely, “I did what I would do for myself, but on a bigger scale. It got easier as I did it. Got caught in the Tornado a few times, though.”

“hmm…” Papyrus nodded, head down on his arms now. “and the fridge? how’d you fill it?”

They blushed a bit, “I stole your phone and sent Undyne a text. I knew if anybody’d be willing to help a little borrower like me, she would.”

“so that’s what you call yourself? a borrower?” He stuck one hand out toward them, not blaming them for flinching. Thinking better of poking them, Papyrus let it flop limply on the table.

“Yeah. We live in Bigs’ houses and take little bits and bobs they don’t need or won’t miss. A morsel of food here, a damaged but useful sock there. Nothing major or more than gets thrown out otherwise. We’re supposed to stay hidden, but…I couldn’t let you suffer alone.” They cautiously scooted over and leaned on his hand. “I meant it when I left the I love you note. You….m-mean a lot to me.”

“‘m not worth it, but i can’t stop you,” he muttered, lifting his finger slightly to rub against them. “and i’m sorry i didn’t think…y’know, before.”

“No,” they sighed, leaning into his rubbing, “I get it. I look like…one of them. It’s not your fault it made you angry.”

“well…” His returning sigh ruffled the soft fluff of hair on their head, “still sorry.”


End file.
